Hi everyone !
Hope you are all doing well.
Thanks again for your patience. I will try to update quicker next time (dare I hope to have more time though). Anyway, today's update focuses a little more on the kind and far-sighted Chief Maz !
Today we have a slight few switch of POV but before leaving you to your reading, I would like to thank personnally each one of you who took time to post a review on the last chapter. You are all awesome and I am so thankful !
Joyceyoojin : Thanks! I hope you will like this one just as much :)
SpaceCadet45 : Thank you, you are sweet. I do my best to make it as intriguing as possible. Today's chapter won't include much cliffhanger but please be assured something is coming next !
Amphora7cipher : Thank you and sorry for the long wait. I love character development and budding relationship as well :). I will try to develop Reylo a little bit at every chapter.
pagan-seijou : Thank you for telling me ! I translated last chapter while reading my French version so it definitely was an error ! Finn and Poe are so cute together, I couldn't resist ^^
lpaillet : Thank you for your review. it makes me happy to know that you like this story! I hope you will enjoy this new chapter as well!
Disclaimers : All characters, places, vehicules... in Star Wars don't belong to me. I am just a mere fanfiction writer and a big Reylo worshipper.
Have a nice time reading !
Chapter 3 : Maz
"He is so damn sexy", exclaimed Finn while she opened the passenger door and entered the bright orange speeder the young man owned. She hadn't even fastened her seatbelt that the speeder was already rushing down the street.
Rey glared at him, flabbergasted.
Was that the only thought that had crossed her friend's mind ?
Their friend Kaithlyn had died the previous days and the mere thought of it made her stomach turn. "Finn... Don't you think there are more important things ? Kaithlyn, she... She is..."
Another load of tears was already flowing at the inner corner of her eyes. It felt like being caught up in a tornado with all the intense and raw emotions biting her skin. The news, the discovery, everything was too fresh and definitely too macabre and she couldn't stop thinking about it.
Finn suddenly grabbed her left hand, his thumb brushing tenderly her knuckles. "Peanut... I can't possibly imagine what you went through yesterday... And let's not even talk about our poor Kaithy. Maker, there are psychopaths even in New Alderaan!".
She delicately removed her hand to grab a tissue in the glove compartment in front of her and wipe her face. She sniffled a little then calmed down. Closing her eyes, she breathed out a few times before focusing again on the road. By the window she could see that he was turning around the capitol before heading west toward the market place and the coast. They were obviously going to crash at his place and not in a restaurant and she couldn't feel more relieved. She didn't want to give a show in a crowded place.
Seeing as she didn't intend to speak again, Finn turned his chocolate eyes filled with concern at her for a brief moment. " You wanna talk about it ?"
He had always been there for her, Finn.
They had met on Jakku on a late afternoon when the young man's speeder had broken down near the outpost. Rey just offered to give him a hand, quickly checking the repulsorlift and the turbines. No need to say they quickly became good friends.
They were barely seventeen years old at the time and he looked nothing like the people of Jakku. The young adult was exuberant, magnanimous and at the same time he could definitely become a tiny bit spiteful during quarrels. He was always fair while never letting one walk over him, which made him an incredible community counsellor.
More importantly, Finn had been the one to convince Rey to leave behind that damned scrap dealer and that desert hell that the package included. Finn was now what Rey considered the closest to family and she loved him like she would a brother : sometimes too damn sticky, and most of the time definitely too harsh for her own good and yet she wouldn't waste a damn second if one day he needed a shoulder to cry on... or a kidney.
It took them ten minutes to reach the little flat Finn was living in. One of the main street was just a block away and NAU also was at immediate reach which enabled Rey and Finn to meet often through the week. They silently crossed the hall before climbing the stairs till the third floor. He closed the front door on them and then Rey found herself unexpectedly crushed in a tight hug and fingers caressing her scalp and her hair.
The young man let out a strong breathe before admitting, his voice low and anxious. " I was so scared something had happened to you when I got your call. I was so afraid..."
"Finn...", she began, yet letting the following words hang on.
His shoulders relaxed and then he loosened his arms before inviting her in the living room. "Do you know where to stay tonight ? Now that your room is a crime scene, I believe you won't be able to crash there..."
She gaped at him dumstruck.
With all the fuss that had followed the discovery of yesterday, the idea hadn't crossed her mind.
Finn had his back turned at her, busy mincing the berries, seasoning the sunfish and boiling the noodles. Turning to face her again, he offered her his warmest smile. " You could always stay here, you know. Till NAU finds a back-up solution for you, I mean".
Rey didn't reply immediately. Her eyes still lingering on her long fingers and stained nails. She eventually raised her head to meet his deep chocolate eyes and admitted with a small voice. "I hadn't thought about it. I guess I will have to ask the Lieutenant."
She had mentionned the handsome policeman without any further thought yet her friend immediately jumped at the chance. "How about you tell me a little about this policeman of yours?" His eyebrows were raised in a knowing way and a smile full of innuendos was splattered on his beautiful face.
Rey felt her cheek warm up at the innuendos. "I don't know what you are talkin about. He is just the policeman in charge of the case. He-... He was very friendly and encouraging, for the purposes of the investigation only, of course. He was kind enough to ask if I was ok and that's all !"
Taking a deep breath, she then pursuied. It came out a bit angrier than she had wanted. "I don't understand your insinuations. I thought you only had eyes for Poe!". She hated when Finn teased her, a fact the young man was well aware of. He was always eager to push, to annoy the desert out of her, as we said, like a damn brother would.
He winked at her, like a tease and kept up his game. "I wasn't talking about myself".
Maker, she hated him when he did that.
She couldn't bear the conversation any longer. All she wanted was to escape, to end this conversation, just find a damn excuse. An exit to get away, a new breathe of fresh air.
Hell, she felt like her lungs were desperately fighting for air...
"If you don't mind, I am going to take a shower. I must stink like a bantha..."
In a mocking ton that almost stunk her, he admitted cheekily. "I hadn't dare say it aloud!"
In a somewhat childish way, he stuck out his tongue before putting a straight face again. "Please feel free ! My home will always be yours, Rey".
Yes, a shower...
Definitely a good idea.
It was half past one and Lieutenant Kylo Ren had roamed most of the messages and holocalls the pretty brunette had exchanging with her friends. Kylo would genuinely concede that it didn't have a direct link to their case in itself. Yet it was always a good way to learn more about the situation as a whole so... Why not ? The results of the analysis were still pending and neither their coroner had handed his report back yet. Thus... Who knows what he could find reading the conversations of Ms. Kenobi ? Young women were known for entrusting their whole life to their phones. Chances were high that he would learn more about their victim as well.
Yes... It was definitely... a trustful and innocent way to make their investigation progress steadily.
Yet Kylo couldn't help feeling like a creep.
...Whatever it takes, they say.
He had swallowed voraciously the content, all the holocalls that Rey had had with Ms. McConaughey this past few days. And the content indeed was informative. He didn't want to admit it but he didn't tire seeing this holographic version of the young women and her Hazel eyes. Rey Kenobi radiated spontaneity and liveliness in all of their calls. Her ever cheerful attitude, her enthusiasm was infectuous and let's not even talk about her ability to marvel at almost everything.
Just plain heartwarming.
And her eyes, earnest and tender, that seemed to smile all the time and would wink every so often.
And that beautiful pair of lips that would curve into either a cute grin or the most radiant toothy smile...
Maker !...
And Rey, she always appeared to be so grateful regarding her professors, thankful that they encouraged and push her to pursue her research to a deeper level, some of which she would almost appraise and worship like demigods. Her friends were by far even more important, especially Finn whom he had met a little earlier.
He also found pictures, mostly taken during parties and extra-academic activities. This is how he came to learn that she bought her groceries at the supermarket he was going to (damn it, why couldn't he have met her there?) and that she was taking part to quite a few voluntary works along with Finn and the Tico sisters (?).
On the contrary, Kaithlyn McConaughey was more of a loner and a shy human women. She seemed more like a foggy moonlight while Rey was more of a bright and sunny morning. Her whole life revolved around her studies or books she read which were directly linked to her researchs. He couldn't find a lot of common points with Ms Kenobi, aside of their Biology class and their common passion for botany. She almost looked taciturn in comparison to Rey. The contrast was striking and yet the two young ladies were tied like fingers to the hand, as he could tell from the dozens of messages the two exchanged on a daily basis. There were still so much to discover but he was disrupted by Maz.
His chief was coming out of the meeting room along with that damn prosecutor and the Mayor. The ginger looked down on him, his lips stirring up on a mocking way, while he escorted the Mayor out of the station. Kylo glared at him before focusing back on his Chief. The prosecutor wasn't worth it, anyway.
With a quick hand gesture, Maz asked him to follow her silently and they headed straight to the morgue.
"Gial is stitching up the corpse. He agreed to give us his first conclusions before writing his report". She was always talking with a low voice not to being overheard, her tone raspy from the lack of sleep. Taking a deep breathe she added eventually. " It should enable us to move forward quicker".
Kylo merely nodded at her while galantly opening the thick door made of quadrillium of the morgue for her.
The morgue for sure was the cleanest room of the whole police station. the Admiral was well-known for being an even neater freak than was the Lieutenant Kylo Ren. Maz and the thirty-five years old Lieutenant entered the den of the Mon Calamari to find the coroner bend over the corpse, stitching up the last wound. They let him finish in an almost religious silence and Maz allowed herself to speak only when the Admiral recovered the corpse with a white sheet.
"Gial, what do you think of it ?"
The Mon Calamari turned to face them in a slow move while shaking his hand sorrily. "What happened to this young human is very sad. Really". He gestured them to approached while slowly turning around the trolley on which the corpse was laying.
He first designated the throat. The handprints that Phasma had observed the previous days had become streaks of vivid purple shades on the alabaster complexion of Kaithlyn McConaughey. "Strangulation is what killed this young student".
Then he lifted the sheet to display the torso of the victim. Her breast had been carefully bandaged by the coroner and the view was less embarassing. Gial Ackbar had always made a point of ensuring that any corpse handled by his hands would conserv its dignity. With his long and puny fingers, he showed one by one the multiples lacerations on the upper and lower abdomen. "This is a first. All theses wounds were made post mortem which leaves me clueless. The victim was already dead, so what was the purpose of inflicting other wounds to the body ? "
His fingers trailed gently on the porcelain-looking skin and slowly went up to another wound located on her right elbow crease. This wound was far more distinctive than the previous ones by its uncommon cross shape. "And lastly, there is this one which was not caused by the same tool. Whatever it is, it pulled off some skin when it was removed".
Kylo clearly saw a shiver ran down the spine of his Chief upon this revelation. There weren't many options and he drew his own conclusions almost instantly. " A blood drinker".
He had stated this fact aloud and another shiver fled down the arms of his Chief. She didn't nor needed to add any more observation and appeared horrified by the fact alone. So he continued on his own, asking for more details. "Was there any bite or sucking marks ?"
The Admiral shook his head no, his eyes sorrowful. "Not at all. The body has been partially drained of its blood. Based on the time of the death and my observations, I would say about two litres and a half.
So the murder was premeditated.
It didn't coincide with his first obersavtions. The violence of this crime had first led him to think of an isolated case. He could feel a lot of anger based on the multiple times the girl had been stabbed.
One usually don't stab someone a twenty-some times just for the thrill.
So why ?
This murder for sure was hidden quite a few surprises for them to find.
Without a word, the coroner covered the victim with the sheet again, grabbed his holo-recorder and his briefcase. He had never been quite the chatterbox an he pushed the trolley toward the sterile chamber. Maz headed back to the door, her lips pursed in a thin line. Kilo followed her to her office and swiftly closed the white blinds. She quickly sat at her mahogany desk before catching his ebony eyes with hers.
"I wasn't expecting that".
That were her first words and they were soon followed by an explosion of grunts which weren't directed to Kylo but more toward herself." We saw crazy things all the time... horrible things when you do a job like ours but this murder... Dang it ! Who is capable of such atrocities ? And to say that the murdered is a human being... I swear I won't sleep on my two ears till we trap him!"
She then grabbed her mug and served herself a cup of a weird-looking infusion of medicinal plants to calm herself. It was very common habit of his Chief, and more often than once the smell of boiled herbs would linger in the whole station. Letting out a sigh, she offered him a sit (he wouldn't have sat without her permission anyway) as she collected herself.
"There is another thing we need to discuss Lieutenant". She eventually admitted after a sip.
His brows furrowed slightly with attention.
"We were able to contact Ms. McConaughey's family earlier this morning. They are living on a small planet on the outer rim which is a little more than thirteen Light years away from here..." She trailed off and he couldn't quite picture what his boss intended to say. She took another breathe, then a sip. "They won't be here in time for the identification of the corpse and we won't be able to respect the deadlines imposed by the law. I want to ask Ms. Kenobi instead".
Kylo didn't like the idea.
Miss Rey had already suffered enough.
"With all due respect, Chief, I don't think this is a good idea. Ms. Kenobi has been deeply affected by the death and the discovery of her friend's corpse. I am afraid burdening her with such an aweful experience will leave... indelible marks".
Maz sighed once more before grumbling in a raspy and tired voice. "I am aware that it won't be easy. But you know the procedures. If we don't identify the victim, the investigation will come to an end!"
Of course, Kylo knew that already. But he was adamant the idea was unacceptable. His Chief caught his gaze again and peered through it as if it enabled her to reach his soul. "I know this gaze, Kylo... If you don't want to do it yourself, I understand. But you won't prevent me from asking this yound lady to fulfill this task".
This time it was Kylo's turn to sigh as he passed a nervous hand through his dark locks. He had a bad feeling about it.
He would do everything he could to spare the beautiful student more pain. Yet, at the same time, the bubbling affection he was experiencing for the young lady could not go against the smooth running of their investigation. He muttered absentmindedly that he understood before standing up and leaving the office.
It was almost two in the afternoon when Finn dropped Rey in front of the police station entrance. He kissed her cheek fondly one last time before whispering that he would come pick her up at six o' clock.
"You don't hesitate to call me if anything, ok ? " he told her before turning on the ignition and leaving.
She watched the small Airspeeder pull away and disappear at the corner of the street before entering the station. The whole building was silent. Upon crossing the corridor that led to the mai hall, she immediatey spotted the Lieutenant Ren at his desk, obviously deep into his own work. Rey slowly got closer to his desk, hoping not to disturb him during his work.
At her appearance, the almost jet-black eyes of the young man widened and he offered her a kind yet shy loopsided grin. He quickly stood on his feet and rushed to meet her. The Lieutenant was tall and well built, with broad shoulders and what seemed like a chiseled torso. Rey couldn't really say she had really been interested in men until now, yet she couldn't help wonder what secrets those deep coffee eyes of his could be hiding.
He didn't strike as the most sociable looking man. On the contrary, he seemed rather shy, even withdrawn. And yet he had done nothing but making her feel at ease and behaving caringly and considerately with her. Her whole body shivered at the though of his soft hands stroking her shoulders this morning when he wrapped her in the blanket.
She was definitely never going to admit it to Finn but her almost brother was very close to the truth.
What a fascinating man...
She was pulled out of her reverie when he stretched out his hand. "Would you like a cup of coffee ?". He offered casually and his voice deep and suave resonated in her whole body while his lips lifted slightly in his signature cute grin. With his uncommonly long face and nose, the man was of a singular beauty. He wasn't handsome on the very first glance like her friend Poe (who happened to be the dream come true of her "brother" Finn) was. No, he was that kind of beauty that doesn't strike you at first but that you come to like as time passes by. And the more Rey spent time with him and the more she found herself attracted.
His left eyebrow rose up and he extended his hand expectantly. Taken aback and slightly embarassed, she barely nodded and lay her much smaller hand in his.
And maker, it was so soft and warm.
And it felt as if a warm and soothing electric current was passing through her and made her feel better.
He gently led her to the coffee machine, his eyes chasing hers in a playful sideglance. "An expresso ?". She nodded again, but with a small smile grazing her lips while she watched him switch on the machine and prepare an expresso for her. Once they were both served, he led her calmy to the interrogation room, the same one they had been using in the morning.
The Lieutenant asked her to give him more details on the private life of Kaithlyn, including her family. However Rey had never met them personaly and was unable to help him. The rest of the afternoon went by rather quiclkly. They went over the same information she had confided earlier. As she was told by Kylo, it was only by necessity. It occured more often than not that by talking a second time to a witness, other elements would appear. The littlest detail, even something she wouldn't think as important could help solve the whole mystery. He also asked her to talk about the university, the library staff and Kaithlyn teachers but their majors were too different and she didn't know them much.
It was nearing five o' clock when someone knocked at the door. The door opened slowly on Maz, Kylo's Chief. She seemed like a middle-aged clever woman with piercing Amber eyes. Rey had had the chance to speak a little with her in the morning and she clearly seemed to be able to speak quite a handful of langages. Like the Lieutenant, Maz Kanata had been nothing short of goodness, for which Rey had felt extremely thankful to have been taken care of by so many thoughtful people.
It had not always been the case...
The Head of the police sat in silence and Rey could see the Lieutenant biting his lips. The atmosphere suddenly shifted to become tenser. Maz Kanata took a deep breathe before initiating the conversation.
"I have a favour to ask you, child. But you have to know first that this is no an easy one".
Rey stared at her apprehensively for a moment before encouraging the middle-aged woman to talk. "I am listening", she told her with a kind voice.
The lady looked away for an instant, trying to catch the Lieutenant's eyes with hers and Rey clearly saw the well composed face of the thirty-something year old man falter.
His eyes looked so pained.
What could have possibly happened ?
The head of the police caught her eyes again as she declared. "In regards of the Law, we need someone to certify in front of both a Police officer and the responsible of the Morgue that the corpse we currently have in our care belonged to Ms. Kaithlyn McCoanaughey. We won't be able to carry on the investigation without receiving this confirmation. We had initially planned to ask her family but they are living on a far away planet and we are running out of time. I am very sorry to reauest this but would you please help us ?"
Her voice got kinder as she added. "I know this will be hard, I wish we had another option".
That was not an easy decision. Rey would give anything to be able to forget what she had seen the previous day. She would give everything for that fateful day to have never happened.
But, at the same time, wouldn't she be a coward to refuse and throw the task in the hands of another person ? Her gaze shifted between the bewildered face of the Lieutenant Ren and the pleading amber eyes of his Chief.
It only took her a minute to weight her options and accept. "I will do it".
The Head of the office throw her a heartwarming smile before rushing out of the room, talking about "calling Gial", who ever it could be. The Lieutnant, who had not uttered a word since the arrival of his Chief in the room, stood up strenuously from his chair and admitted gloomily. "I wish I could have spared you such pain".
She stood up as well and got around the table to face him. His shoulders were hunched and he looked like a kicked puppy. Less intimidating. She felt the urge to appease him, she couldn't bear to look at his eyes if they were staring at her with such a lost expression.
"It is not your fault. And the McConaughey are good parents, from what Kaithy told me. They don't deserve to see their loving daughter in such a state". At least if I can..." She couldn't finish her sentence as the words seemed to clutch at her throat. Once again, she was breathless.
Kylo Ren rolled back his shoulders as he straightened his back and beckoned her to leave the room and follow him. His right arm quickly sneaked around her shoulders as he led her galantly to the Morgue. The lingering caress of his fingers on her soft skin were as soothing as the velvet ton of his voice. " The confirmation won't take much time. We will just ask you to give a quick glance at the body and confirm us whether or not it is Ms. McConaughey. Our chief as well as the coroner will be attending the identification, as required by the Law". He told her, almost babbling the information nervously. Catching his breathe, he seemed to calm down and his voice became more confident. "I will also be by your side".
He needn't say more, it was enough to reassure Rey.
She would not face this alone.
They entered a dark room only lightened by few neon tubes hanging from the ceiling. A Mon Calamari wearing a white lab coat came to greet them and he thanked her warmly for coming. Just like Lieutenant Ren had told her, he assured her that it wouldn't take more than a little minute. "You just need to tell us that this is indeed your friend and then you are free to go".
The whole room is a bit intimidating, cold and dry. Rey felt her throat get even drier as the coroner disappeared in the back of the room. The Lieutenant came behind her and his large and warm hands found her shoulders and started running up and down along it in an appeasing caress.
She saw the coroner coming back with a trolley.
Her heart missed a beat.
He was now before her eyes, the empty shell of Kaithlyn. The only thing that prevented Rey from seeing her was the thin layer of cotton that was covering it. With very slow and calm motions, the Mon Calamari went to stand at a side of the trolley where Rey could guess was resting her friend's head. He seemed to be waiting for her greenlight, without blinking, without ever complaining.
Rey took one last and painful inspiration before shaking her head hesitantly.
Both hands of the coroner grasped the thin white sheet with an unexpected delicacy and unveiled the pale face of Kaithy. And it was less terrifying than the previous days. Her eyes had been closed and Kaithlyn almost looked like she was sleeping peacefully. And at this very instant, something snapped in her head.
She will never meet her friend anymore.
Her whole body started quivering the very next second.
Her eyes shut instantly.
With a shaky voice that she didn't recognized as hers, she muttered. "I confirm"
The well toned arms of the Lieutenant Ren circled around her upper body all of the sudden and she quickly turned on herself to bury her face in his chest. Her arms found their way in his back as she cried.
And it's wrapped !
I was thinking about ending this chapter with a couple more things but eventually I decided against.
I think this end is enough without adding to it.
Chapter four is not written yet but I have quite a few ideas and a nice cliffhanger in mind so stay tuned and see you in a few couple weeks !
Have a nice week !
